Sex After Baby
Having sex that first time after baby can be overwhelming!
For those of you experiencing pain when you have sex, here are a few things to consider:
1
Pelvic floor muscle tension
Many women are expecting to feel less tension after baby but they actually feel more. Keep in mind that the pelvic floor stretches to let out a baby during vaginal birth and that these muscles often go into protection mode after which makes the same hole, feel less accommodating. You can have tension related to tearing or episiotomy scar tissue that can contribute to pelvic floor tension.
Those of you who had a c-section may be surprised to be feeling tension as well. Keep in mind that your incision lives right above the pelvis and that tension from tissues around your scar can be felt down into the pelvic floor.
** I can't stress enough, that working with a pelvic health physical therapist can really improve these symptoms after vaginal or cesarean birth. **
2
Mindset
Most of you will notice that the lack of sleep and stress of having a new baby affects your desire to be intimate. It is also hard to prioritize sex when it feels like there are so many other things to do. At the end of the day, it is hard for our brain to prioritize desire when this stage finds many women in fight or flight mode. Fight or flight mode makes it hard for the nervous system and pelvic floor to relax.
3
Less lubrication
It is common to feel vaginal dryness postpartum. It can be associated with breastfeeding or stress, and can contribute to painful sex. While we breastfeed, our estrogen levels (which help to keep us lubricated down there) are low. You may find using a lubricant is enough to solve the problem, but if you are feeling like it's a desert down there, talk to your care provider.
I have included a discussion I had with another pelvic health PT, Corinne Wade from Kare Physio. In this video, we talk about strategies to help your return to sex feel successful.
